MERIDIAN, Idaho — There is a brand new facility on Black Cat Road in Meridian that is literally opening doors for future journeyman carpenters.
A big section of the new industrial development near Ten Mile includes the new home for the Carpenters Union Training Center.
An instructor with Carpenters Apprenticeship, Jason Abdon, says the training offers individuals an entry point into an occupation with good pay and plenty of prospects.
WATCH: Step into the new Carpenters Union Training Center in Meridian
“If [there’s] one thing that’s not going to go away— it's construction,” added Abdon.
As Idaho News 6 previously reported, construction is booming throughout the Treasure Valley. Micron is adding a new fabrication plant, Meta is building out a data facility, and construction at The District at Ten Mile is about to get underway.
With significant development on the horizon, the older, smaller training facility at the Carpenter’s Local Union in Meridian needed an upgrade. The new training center is designed to better support the construction trades, replacing the cramped location near Meridian Road.
Abdon says the new facility was long overdue: “In our old training center, we squeezed about 25 students into a tiny classroom — it was elbow to elbow. Now we have a much larger space that allows us to hold bigger classes and provide a better learning environment.”
Bigger classes translate into more students and more opportunities.
We spoke with one student who says he sincerely appreciates the opportunity.
“Ever since growing up, playing with little blocks, or something like that, it trained me to build something, so coming out of high school, it was an opportunity to learn a trade, and I got into it," the student said. "For the training center, we're building the soft lid, so when we want to build, when there are other classes like drywall classes, framing classes, they can screw the walls to the ceiling."
Leaders tell me the four-year apprenticeship program essentially pays for itself through the Union’s membership dues.
On just the second day of school, you can see how quickly the students were put to work— literally constructing classroom walls.
If you’re interested in a career as a union journeyman carpenter, contact the training center. They will definitely put you to work.
